Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-01-20


OF those aitting In the body. The first
topic used IN the treatment OF The subject
was Proper uses of text books" The
speafer thought that tho extreme dimse
ot textbooks Is eondemnable One CITY
IN our land did away with text hooks il
the primary department, then in the
junior and at last In the senior grades.
with q result that the children In those
schools were three years behind the pub
llc school children in other cities.
Carefully graded lessons are absolutely
necessary. Textbooks are needed
Tor desk work and exercises. don't in
tend to advocate the study of all lessons
from textbooks. We want 10 htlp the
children TO help themselves and we know
OF no better plan than TO teach them
during their first four years in public
schools TO understand their textbooks.
Let us see how text books can be made
OF Legitimate use. Suppose / gave out
as topic to my class the subject of
the state of Michigan. Where would
the children gain the information /
want of them. Not always from thu ir
parents. Libraries are not ALWAYS at
hand. Yet here are certain books
definitely compiled to reach the questions
and investigation desired. Yet certain
educational extremists would condemn
these very best sources of information.
The second use of text books is .tordar
OF topics in arrangement" On one oc-
casion, as superintendent of certain
CITY school, ii was my duty TO 20 abroad
f0r the purpose OF selecting school
otiicer for an important educational posi-.
tiOn. One morning found mys, II in q
particular school room. Along the sides
of large class room, between the win.
dows, we're written upon the usual black
boards the heads of an exercise upon
English grammar. The teacher held
in her hand a box containing number
of cards bearing the names of different
pupils. The box was shaken, card was
produced, aud the name being read, it's
owner proceeded to the board and began
writing what che knew upon the given
subject. In two or three minutes another
name was called, its owner in turn taking
the place of the former;. and SO on until
the subject had been properly exhausted.
At the close of that session was present,
an Intelligent epitome Of the subject most
oreditably done. This was gained by
following the formula of the
textbook. There is no greater
advantage formed on the proper nsa of
textbooks than in the advantage gained
OF exact forms of expression; additionally
for authority we must have authority for
all assertion. There is troublesome
class of people who really do not hardly
come under this head. Theirs is the
lEmenteble condition of not knowing and
not knowing that they do not know.
There is no objection in the world to
memorizing definitions when under
stood, but they must be intelli-
gihle before memorizing is attempted.
Give me the person who can
clearly arrange his thoughts and intelli-
gently express himsels. oh say some
Pestalo2zi tells us that il person under
stands anything the logic of it will suf-
ticiently impress fact upon the mind.
The great teacher did not mean that ex-
actly. Inexact expression is founded
upon inexact knowledge. That "sorter
knowledge" is the worst of knowledge.
venture to say there are not 10 teachers
IN this State who will give me exact
definitions above criticisms, upon 10
different subjects which shall be indis-
criminately selected. Believe me the
definitions found in your textbooks are
not idly written. If any of you can do
better tnat the author, why try TO i'm
prove it--and see what your result is.
At the close of his address DR.. French
invited question and criticism upon what
he had said. Superintendent Harlan
wanted TO know how DR. French wonld
handle q mumbling, hesitating scholar,
who when standing mp seemed unable to
nj n II.
"that is only sensitiveness or inability to
abstract the mental processes from
physical surroundings. | have felt that
myself. 1t begins at the ankles and
gradually creeps up here, Mr.. SEperin-
tendent, and the speaker touched his
forehead. A little kindness, encourage
ment and forbeRrance is the medicine
needed, for as You know most of these
children have studied their lessons sue
cessfully ut home.
Prof. Alex. L. Frye of Boston, fol
lowed DR.. French in most interesting
address upon general physical geographi-
cal matters He showed how that all the
great slopes or plains of the world nre on
the eastern sides of the mountain ranges,
Four-tifths of the rain that falls
is deposited upon the eastern
slopes. Mr.. Frye used blackboard
Illustrations and also o most novel
descriptive apparatus Of physical
relief in topography. A large, shallow,
wooden tray, some three feet by four,
was placed upon small table. By some
simple process it was raised at an angle
Just suited to the gaze of the audience.
The base of the tray was colored white
and in its centre, large enough almost to
fill the interior, was map of South
America in alto.relief, modelled out
in sand. II showed most ingenious and
unique map of the southern continent in
relief. At sight, il was so simple, easy to
form, that its practicability and suita-
bility for teaching this interesting sub
ieGt was wildly apparent, The Andes
mountains were plainly indicated, from
Patagonia, north to Central America.
Coast indentations aud river basins could
be most readily apprehended.
On account of the fact that all the ma
terials in this most unique of all apparatus
ever exhibited here could not cost more
than I'll and is quite possible of quick
manufacture III any school district by
almost the dullest of teachers, its adoption
cannot but be followed by many of our
teachers
Prof. Frye used large colored cartoons
to illustrate the inter connection between
the vegetation belts and the structure of
the different localities. Heasked, 'Shall
we teach the worlds vegetation belt by
the political and territorial divisioDsW
He said this was quite Objectionable.
Another interesting chart was that illus
tratinR the fauna boundaries of the con-
tinents. Above the Himaleyehs similar
fauna exists on account of similar vegeta-
ton in those regions. Ii is strange that
in the different localities it is quite pos
sible for the animals indigenous to cer-
tain regions to pass from nne to another.
But they do not. They must reiuain
where suitable vegetation, aud the easiest
obtained for their use, is found.
The speaker treated the subject OF
political geography in most interesting
way. He reverted to the fact that all
great cities are found at the terinlnl OF
of the great commercial routes of the
wortd. Calcutta and Liverpool spraDg
up after the discovery by Yasco da CANA
Of the Cape route, Gs did Bombay anu
Madras.
DR.. Raub was next introduced. Be
spoke upon the subject of spelling. He
said that perhaps there wouid be some
trouble in talking upon this subject as ne
did not know how his audience spelled. 20
would like TO give them trial. The
school commissioners, merchants and
others say that 40 years ago people
spelled much better than they do now.
.tBut," added the speaker, 81 have a
challenge. 1t is from dozen teachers OF
New Castle county to any dozen
of these old folks to have u spelling
match, and to let me be judge. A friend of
mine, Judge Armistead, says he has no